Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers Prediction, NHL Odds
The Maple Leafs hit the road for a crucial two-game swing thru the Sunshine State after tallying a decisive 5-0 victory over Columbus on Saturday night that leaves them sporting a narrow two-point lead over second-place Tampa Bay with just six games remaining on the schedule. The Panthers return home after closing out a four-game road trip with Sunday’s 2-1 defeat in Detroit, extending their current losing streak to five games, and can be officially bounced from the hunt for the top of the Atlantic Division standings with a regulation loss to the Leafs.
The Leafs arriver in South Florida perched as slim -120 favourites on the Tuesday NHL odds. The Panthers trail as +100 underdogs and the total is listed at 5.5.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers NHL Betting Odds
Tuesday’s clash at Amerant Bank Arena will be the final regular season meeting between these division rivals and their second matchup in the past week. The Leafs skated to a 3-2 home victory over the Panthers last Wednesday, snapping a three-game head-to-head slide, but must now overcome a three-game losing streak in Florida, where they have lost eight of 11 in regular season action. However, Toronto enters the final week of the campaign playing some of their best hockey of the season. Winners in eight of their past 10, and now leading the way as massive -400 chalk on the odds to win the Atlantic Division, the Leafs have allowed just five total goals during their current 4-0-0 run and have surrendered more than three goals just three teams during their current 8-1-1 surge. Conversely, the Panthers have been limited to just seven total goals during their five-game swoon and have been limited to two or fewer goals in 10 of their past 13 outings. However, the panthers remain a dominant force on home ice, posting wins in 12 of their past 14 including five shutout victories.
Toronto Maple Leafs
William Nylander and Nick Robertson provided all the offence the Leafs needed on Saturday, potting two goals each in a 5-0 rout of the Blue Jackets. That outburst was a tonic for Robertson, who scored just one goal over his 12 previous appearances. Nylander’s performance halted a three-game scoring slump and gives him 44 markers this season, keeping alive his hopes of tallying 50 goals for the first time in his career. However, Nylander has failed to bulge the twine in each of hiss past seven versus Florida. John Tavares was held off the scoresheet on Saturday but remains the club’s most prolific scorer, potting 14 goals in 17 games since the start of March, with nine of those goals coming on the road. But perhaps the biggest difference maker during the Leafs’ late-season surge is Anthony Stolarz. Expected to make a third straight start between the pipes on Tuesday, Stolarz has claimed the win in five straight starts, allowing just eight goals and compiling a sparkling .944 save percentage over that stretch including a 29-save performance in last week’s 3-2 win over Florida.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers return home in desperation mode after turning in another shaky offensive performance in Sunday’s loss to the Red Wings. Now leading Ottawa by just two points in the battle for third place in the Atlantic, the Panthers have failed to claim a regulation win in 11 games since earning a 3-2 win in Toronto on March 13. Slow starts have plagued the club. The Panthers have failed to score in the opening frame in three straight games and their offensive woes are not helped by mounting injuries. Matthew Tkachuk remains sidelined and has been joined in the clinic by team captain Aleksander Barkov, who missed Sunday’s game in Detroit with an upper body injury that is likely to keep him out on Tuesday. Veteran rearguard Dmitry Kulikov also remains on the shelf with an upper body injury while Sam Bennett is expected to draw back into the lineup after getting rested on Sunday.
